The Last Spartans by Adam McCormick
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Halo: The Last Spartans Prologue
Date: 18 January 2007, 4:25 am
0256 Hours, February 18, 2553 (Military Calendar)/
UNSC Cruiser Remulot, location old debris fields.
"It looks barren sir. Just like all of the other debris fields we've checked." commented Private 1st Class Sean Erdman.
"Keep scanning there must be something out there we can use." replied Sergeant Morison. "I have a feeling somethings out here." Sergeant Morison was one the older commanding pilots of the UNSC. He had survived two boardings of the covenant who they succesfully repelled from their ship. He was proud to be in charge of this vessel and would never let anything keep him from his duty.
"Sir! We have something!" came Erdman quickly interrupting his concentration.
"What do you have?" he asked quickly leaning forward to see the screen.
"It's a cryotube sir." said the private slowly.
"Well get it on board. Could be a soldier out there."
Before long the cryotube was in their docking bay out in the open. The glass was covered in frost and there was nothing visable on the other side.
"Make sure you get that thing defrosted. We need every man we can get. Understood?"
"Yes Segreant." replied the soldier.
A few hours passed as the Sergeant waited in his quarters. Pondering on what the cryotube must contain. He stared out of the window into space. Many stars lay beyond his gaze. One of those stars was the milkyway galaxy were his home lay. The home he thought he may or may not ever see again. The home that he had vowed to protect with his life. If he ever got back he wouldn't know, but he would damnsure try to.
"Sir we have the cryotube thawed." came a voice over the mic in his wall.
"Ill be there shortly." he answered making way to his door. Before leaving he took one last look at the star. Then turned and left. As he made his way down the long corridor he wondered what the small tube had carried. What kind of soldier had been frozen in such a hurry. He made it through the door and saw the men standing around.
"Sir you need to look at this."
He made his way through the men and looked inside of the tube. What he saw amazed him. It seemed impossible. The soldier that lay before him was no ordinary soldier, but one of the SPARTAN's. Master Chief was suppose to be the last, but fortunately they had found another. This was a blessing to the men.
"Get that SPARTAN out and revived. We need him opperational as soon as possible. Specialist Mitchell contact Master Chief SPARTAN 117 as soon as possible. We need to get this man up and going. We now may be able to win this war with knowledge he may have."
Never had Sergeant Morison been more excited. If they had overlooked one SPARTAN couldn't they have overlooked more. Hell if they found only one other it would be a miracle. All of the SPARTAN's were believed to be dead, or MIA as they were all listed on the rosters. Morison never believed that they should have been listed as MIA, but it kept the hope and spirits of the people of Earth alive. Though all of the soldiers knew otherwise. Even though SPARTAN's were stronger, faster, and smarter they still weren't invincible.
"This is SPARTAN 117 Master Chief. Do you read Sergeant?" came John's voice over the com before his picture appeared on the large screen in the main deck.
"Master Chief I have some very good news for you. We have retrieved one of your SPARTAN bretheren. The soldier is undergoeing tests right now, but he is completely normal. We thought you might like to see him." said the Sergeant with a smile.
"Indeed sir. I will take one of the Pelican Cruisers to your ship. It will be 16 hours before arrival." finished Master Chief before disconnecting the transmission.
The Master Chief showed no emotion. Typical for a SPARTAN he thought to himself. Deep down he knew that the man was happy though.
"Sir the SPARTAN is up and ready to see you." came one of the soldiers voice.
"Understood. Ill be down as soon as possible." replied the Sergeant.
Once down in the bay the SPARTAN warrior came to attention as Firs Sergeant Morison entered the room.
"At ease soldier." The warrior did so. "My name is First Sergeant James Morison. What's yours?" asked the man.
"My name is Seargent First Class Zack Tatome SPARTAN 013." he replied.
"One of the first. It's a miracle you're still alive."
"Permission to speak freely sir?"
"Granted."
"What do you exactly mean by it's a miracle im still alive?" he asked concernedly.
"Soldier you're only the second SPARTAN still alive. All the others have died. How long have you been in that cryotube?" asked the Sergeant.
"What's the date?" he asked.
"February 18, 2553." he answered.
The soldier thought for a moment before answering. "We need to get to Reach immediately sir."
"Soldier. Reach was glassed by the covenant a year ago. Do you mean to tell me you were frozen before the Fall of Reach?" he asked.
"Yessir." he answered slowly.
"We need to update you on what's happened then." replied the Sergeant.
Halo: The Last Spartans Chapter One 'Updating'
Date: 20 January 2007, 4:20 am
Chapter One 'Updating'
1842 Hours, February 18, 2553 (Military Calendar)/
UNSC Cruiser Remulot, location old debris field
The Master Chief SPARTAN-117 finally made it aboard the Remulot Cruiser later that day. The SPARTAN was massive as all of the warriors were. Many of the ODST Soldiers awed at the sight of him. Many had never seen a SPARTAN because they were all 'extinct' as some of the men put it. Before too long he was up on the bridge where his SPARTAN brother now stood with the Sergeant.
"Seargeant." he said snapping off a crisp salute.
"At ease." replied the man. "As you see we have found one of your SPARTAN bretheren, which is great news to everyone, but there is some bad news." he spoke in a deep voice.
"What's that Sir?" asked the Master Chief.
"This particular SPARTAN was put in a cryotube over a year ago. He didn't even know we had lost Reach. So now your mission is to update this soldier and then put him into use wherever you need him."
"Understood sir!" he answered. "Now I would like to go ahead and take him with me back to the Echoeing Silence. Is that okay sir?" asked the Master Chief.
"Yes it is. Take him with you. You're the only one who he will really talk to. He hasn't talked to us much at all."
The Master Chief gave a nod, and both soldiers exited the bridge and made their way to the Pelican Dropship he had used to reach the Remulot. Once safely inside the back of the ship they began to talk.
"First I would like to know a few things about you. Would you mind answering my questions?" asked the Chief.
"No sir." replied SPARTAN-013.
"What's your rank soldier?"
"Sergeant First Class." he answered.
"I see you are one of the SPARTANS from the Army program. You all were the first created. Also I would like your name."
"Zack Tatome sir."
"Good now what's your area of expertise?" he asked.
SPARTAN-013 smiled behind his visor before answereing. "Hand-to-hand combat, and mastery of Covenant weapons sir."
"That will be very useful to use. Now one last thing. You're hiding something you know. What is that. Some kind of human or covenant weapon technology. Or something else." he questioned.
How did he know? He thought to himself. Perhaps he was briefed before the freezing. Or maybe it was just obvious.
"Sir! I was left with information that we never hoped would need to be used. But seeing that you and I are the last SPARTANS in the universe it seems like what I have to say will be appreciated." stated SPARTAN-013. "Now before I was frozen I was told the location of two other SPARTANS who would be recieving the same fate. I was told that in time there wouldn't be anymore of our kind, and so far that's true." he continued.
"Where are they located 013?" he asked quickly.
"Sir. They aren't even in this system. The closest to our current position is in a now Covenant controlled system. I searched the area on the NAV computers in the bridge." he quickly said so the Chief didn't have to ask. "The system is the Zenarian, dominarian system." he finished.
"That is a very difficult place for our Cruisers to reach without being detected. And if detected everyone is dead. Im sure you already figured that out in the bridge." he said standing and pacing slowly now.
"And the other is located where?" he asked.
"A planet that still hasn't been glassed....Earth." he replied.
"Earth seems like an easier area to reach, but it would be easier for us to reach the cryotube with the help of another. I'll consult with Cortana. Im not the smartest so she does most of the thinking on our missions. It'll be very difficult for us to reach that area, but with her help im sure we can make it somehow." finished the Master Chief.
"Yessir." said 013.
They rode the rest of their flight in silence. Both deep in thought trying to figure out some way to get inside of the Covenant system without being detected, but everything that came to mind just seemed like suicide. This Master Chief thought would probably be one of the most difficult missions he'd ever have to do with the help of only one other SPARTAN. This would also be one of the most memorable and indeed could somehow turn the tide of this war. Maybe with the assistance of these other warriors. 'Cortana will know what to do' he thought. She always did. And now the Master Chief would need her more than ever before. More beyond the capabilities of himself.
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